Extra Points: Browns, Byrd, Vick, Graham
Browns coach Mike Pettine was as shocked an anyone about the ouster of CEO Joe Banner and GM Mike Lombardi, but he’s confident he’ll work well with new GM Ray Farmer. “(The shakeup) was nothing that was talked about obviously during the interview process, but it was a clear message from the owner (Jimmy Haslam) of his commitment to bringing stability to the franchise looking forward, and I just look forward to working with (Farmer),’‘ Pettine said, according to Mary Kay Cabot of the Plain Dealer. “I can already tell we’re going to have a tremendous relationship.” More from around the league:
- Tim Graham of the Buffalo News wonders if the Bills can afford to franchise tag Jairus Byrd again. Byrd was less than thrilled with Buffalo last season when the team hit him with the franchise tag and this time around it would cost the Bills a whopping $8.299MM to do it again. That’s probably too much for a safety, which is why a long-term deal might make more sense. It remains to be seen whether the Bills are willing to pony up the kind of long-term deal that Byrd probably seeks.
- The Buccaneers should go out and sign quarterback Mike Vick this offseason, writes Tom Jones of the Tampa Bay Times. As shown in Luke Adams’ run down of this year’s free agent QBs, Vick is likely the cream of the crop.
- Saints tight end Jimmy Graham says he’s not concerned about being designated as a tight end or wide receiver, tweets Larry Holder of The Times-Picayune. “That’s not for me to decide. I’m going to do and I’m going to play what ever I’m asked to do. It’s that simple,” Graham said.
- Should the Redskins go after any of the recently released Saints? Rich Tandler of CSNWashington.com runs them down one by one.
AFC Notes: Browns, Farmer, Bills, Dolphins
The Browns are testing the faith of their fans with their latest upheaval, writes Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com. Rosenthal also wonders who hired new head coach Mike Pettine. New GM Ray Farmer wasn’t in the room when Pettine was interviewed and it’s possible that outgoing CEO Joe Banner was the person who made the hire, which could be problematic. Earlier tonight, we asked PFR readers to weigh in on the state of the Browns. More out of the AFC..
- Pettine wasn’t Farmer’s choice, but the new Browns GM does like his like his hard-nosed, tough approach and believes that the D needs to get tougher overall, tweets Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network.
- New Bills defensive line coach Pepper Johnson is ready to spice things up, writes Mark Gaughan of The Buffalo News. Johnson takes over a veteran unit that includes Mario Williams, Kyle Williams, and Marcell Dareus.
- Omar Kelly of the Sun Sentinel looks at what unloading Jonathan Martin would do for the Dolphins‘ cap situation.
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Extra Points: Roseman, Mack, Ponder
After the infamous failures of the Eagles’ “Dream Team” several seasons ago, GM Howie Roseman is trying to lead his team away from its big-spending traditions, writes Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com. Even before the “Dream Team” was assembled, the Eagles handed sizable contracts to Terrell Owens, Stacy Andrews, Asante Samuel, and many others besides. This year, though, Roseman does not plan to attack the team’s weaknesses by throwing money at the current crop of top free agents.
For instance, safeties T.J. Ward and Jairus Byrd would certainly go a long way towards addressing Philadelphia’s deficiencies in the middle of its defense. However, those players will command hefty contracts, and Roseman believes it is becoming more and more difficult to justify those types of deals.
Roseman indicated he would be “open” to a lucrative, long-term deal for a free agent who was young enough, who filled a need, and who played at a very high level. However, he says:
“You see there are fewer and fewer of those players available in free agency, so what happens is good players get great player money, pretty good players get really good player money, and then it throws around the whole structure of your roster.”
As a result, Roseman is attempting to build through the draft and sign those free agents who fit the city’s blue-collar identity rather than assembling a fantasy collection of big names.
Other news from around the league:
- Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida-TImes Union thinks the Jaguars should target free agent C Alex Mack given the lack of experience that their in-house options have. Although it has been well-established that Mack stands to become the highest-paid center in the league, ESPN.com’s Michael DiRocco says the Jags have enough room to make such a move. O’Halloran adds that, if Jacksonville were to land Mack, it could move one of those inexperienced internal candidates to left guard.
- DiRocco says Jacksonville could also settle for a cheaper option at center like Ryan Wendell, and interior offensive linemen the team could target in the draft include Marcus Martin, Russell Bodine, and Trai Turner.
- Although there has been plenty of speculation as to how the Vikings will address their quarterback situation this offseason–thereby implying that Christian Ponder is not seen as the long-term answer–new OC Norv Turner will give Ponder a real chance to win the starting job, says ESPN.com’s Tom Carpenter.
- Meanwhile, ESPN.com’s Mel Kiper thinks the Vikings will take QB Blake Bortles with their first selection in the draft, adding a young and legitimate competitor for Ponder and possibly Matt Cassel.
NFC East Notes: Redskins, Eagles
Redskins‘ new head coach Jay Gruden utilized multiple tight end sets with the Bengals, with both Jermaine Gresham and Tyler Eifert providing big receiving threats for the offense. Last season, the Redskins found a potential star in Jordan Reed, and could benefit from another receiving threat to pair with him at the position, writes Rich Tandler of CSNWashington.com. Unfortunately, both Tandler and his colleague Tarik El-Bashir agree that it is unlikely that the Redskins can afford to invest either a high draft pick or a significant amount of their cap dollars to find a second tight end. Here are some other notes from the NFC East:
- Safety will also be a big area of need for the Redskins, with Brandon Meriweather and Reed Doughty hitting free agency, writes John Keim of ESPN.com. Without a backup in place that the team can be confident in, the Redskins may have to look to free agency to fill out the secondary. Chris Clemons (Dolphins) or Michael Mitchell (Panthers) could be cost effective solutions. Otherwise, Washington will have to look to the draft. Without a first round pick due to the Robert Griffin III trade, Keim believes they could target Jimmy Ward of Northern Illinois in the second or third round.
- The Eagles are estimated to have approximately $20MM in cap space this offseason, leaving them in position to make a splash in free agency. Two intriguing options could be Jason Worilds (Steelers) and T.J. Ward (Browns), writes Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com. He writes that if the Steelers keep LaMarr Woodley, then Worilds would most likely be available and could be a great fit for the Eagles across from Connor Barwin. According to Mosher, even with the cap space, Ward will probably be too expensive to bring in.
- The Eagles are moving forward with a defensive line built around Fletcher Cox, Cedric Thornton, and Bennie Logan, and while Mosher doubts they would add a big name to their line, he would not rule it out completely. He does not think the Eagles would bring in a veteran player as a starter, but if the team thought a young lineman such as B.J. Raji could be a game-changer, they might be willing to spend some money to acquire him.
Coaching Notes: Browns, Vikings, Bills
A handful of teams announced new coaches today, and while many of them had been previously reported, there were some new names in the bunch. Let’s dive in and check out the latest on three teams still looking for their first Super Bowl win….
- Mike Pettine and the Browns officially announced 11 assistants who will part of the overhauled coaching staff in Cleveland for 2014, according to a team release. The Browns’ staff includes running backs coach Wilbert Montgomery and wide receivers coach Mike McDaniel, who came over from the Ravens and Redskins respectively.
- The Vikings finalized their coaching staff for 2014, formally announcing the list of names on their website. While there are bigger names on the staff, including offensive coordinator Norv Turner, the presence of Mike Priefer is noteworthy. Priefer, who returns as the club’s special teams coordinator, was at the center of allegations made by Chris Kluwe, stemming from Kluwe’s release by the club.
- Rob Moore has joined the Bills‘ coaching staff as the team’s wide receivers coach, the club announced in a press release. Moore will be entering the NFL coaching ranks for the first time after spending the last four years as the receivers coach at Syracuse.
AFC Notes: Texans, Chargers, Dolphins, Pats
Texans‘ head coach Bill O’Brien has been very quiet since getting the top job in Houston, but has finally announced the 16 assistant coaches he has hired to fill out the coaching staff, according to HoustonTexans.com. The new hires are highlighted by his new defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel, who held that same post with the Patriots during their three Super Bowls from 2001-2004, and new director of football research Jim Bernhardt, who was O’Brien’s special assistant to the head coach and director of player development at Penn State. The hires that were not made may have been just as important, as the team retained special teams coordinator Bob Ligashesky, and notably O’Brien decided not to hire an offensive coordinator. Here are some other news items from across the AFC:
- The Chargers have decided not to opt out of their lease with Qualcomm Stadium, reports Ricky Henne of Chargers.com. The team will play its home games there in 2014, while the organization continues to explore stadium solutions in San Diego.
- It is no secret that the Dolphins plan to move on from the Richie Incognito–Jonathan Martin controversy, writes James Walker of ESPN.com. However, while Incognito is a free agent, Martin will not be as simple to let go. The Dolphins would like to trade him, but they know if they cannot find a deal that they will have to release him for nothing. Unfortunately, the rest of the league knows that as well, and other franchises might be content to wait until Martin is released.
- The Patriots have exercised the franchise tag eight times since the 2002 offseason, writes Christopher Price of WEEI.com. The two impending free agents that would be most likely to receive the tag are Aqib Talib and Julian Edelman. However, placing the tag on either player would result in a one-year-deal worth over $11MM. The Patriots are more likely to either use it to keep the player from hitting free agency while they negotiate a long-term contract, or possibly not use it at all for the second consecutive year.
Ravens Notes: Draft, Coaches, Free Agency
After some initial confusion, ESPN.com’s Jamison Hensley has received confirmation from the NFL that the Ravens are eligible to receive a compensatory pick in the 2014 draft after losing Ed Reed in free agency. Reed’s 10+ years of experience and the fact that the Texans released him during the season complicated the issue somewhat, but Baltimore can still land a pick for the veteran safety, albeit not one higher than a fifth-rounder. As Hensley writes, the Ravens could receive up to a league-maximum four compensatory picks when those selections are announced at the owner’s meetings next month.
Here’s more on the Ravens:
- Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun provides the Ravens with a to-do list to complete before free agency begins. Zrebiec’s list for the Ravens includes finalizing the coaching staff, creating additional cap room, re-signing their own free agents, and perhaps using the franchise tag.
- Speaking of finalizing the coaching staff, a report from CoachingSearch.com indicates that the team will hire Wisconsin running backs coach Thomas Hammock to coach its RBs. Meanwhile, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun, the Ravens are eyeing Pitt wide receivers coach Bobby Engram as a possible replacement for Jim Hostler. Wilson adds that in both cases, Baltimore has been primarily considering up-and-coming college coaches for the openings.
- Clifton Brown of CSNBaltimore.com explores whether the Ravens might turn to free agency to add a wide receiver this offseason.
Extra Points: Packers, Muamba, Polian
Weston Hodkiewicz of the Green Bay Press-Gazette thinks that the Packers will be forced to lean heavily on a cadre of young defensive lineman that will step into starting roles next season. Defensive linemen Mike Daniels, Datone Jones, and Jerel Worthy will likely replace departing free agents B.J. Raji, Ryan Pickett, and Johnny Jolly on the defensive front of the Packers’ base 3-4 defense. Defensive line coach Mike Trgovac expects Jones and Worthy to mimic Daniels’ 2013 campaign with breakout performances next year.
A few more Monday night notes:
- Adrian Wilson is ready and excited for his 2014 comeback season with the Patriots after spending the entire 2013 season on the IR with a hamstring injury, writes Tom E. Curran of Comcast SportsNet New England.
- The Ravens tried out Canadian Football League middle linebacker Henoc Muamba earlier today, according to a report from Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun.
- Bill Polian sat down with Tom E. Curran of Comcast SportsNet New England and discussed the Patriots needs in the impending offseason. Polian thinks that the Patriots will target a receiving tight end. He also imagines Bill Belichick will pursue a more balanced offensive game plan to take pressure off of Tom Brady. In the piece, Polian also weighs in on the ongoing debate of whether Peyton Manning or Brady is a better quarterback.
NFC Notes: Lions, Bucs, Falcons, Eagles
With Super Bowl XLVIII now comfortably in our rear-view mirrors, let’s round up a few Monday updates from around the NFC….
- The Lions will have to clear significant money from their books over the next few weeks in order to get under the cap for 2014 and make room for draft picks, says Justin Rogers of MLive.com. In examining the team’s possible options, Rogers notes that Detroit could save about $5.5MM by releasing receiver Nate Burleson and another $5.5MM or so by cutting safety Louis Delmas.
- A weekend report suggested that the Buccaneers are among the teams that will have interest in Michael Vick in free agency this offseason, but Pat Yasinskas of ESPN.com isn’t convinced that signing Vick would be the right move for Tampa Bay.
- In a pair of pieces for ESPN.com, Vaughn McClure examines the role that new assistant GM Scott Pioli will have in Atlanta this offseason, and looks into how the Falcons may try to replace Tony Gonzalez at tight end.
- Tim McManus and Sheil Kapadia of PhillyMag.com discuss the Eagles‘ defensive line situation, disagreeing slightly on how strong a priority it should be this offseason.
- Wide receiver, cornerback, and center figure to be areas of focus in the draft for the 49ers, according to Bill Williamson of ESPN.com, who names a few potential targets at each of those positions.